Last night, I finished reading Daughter of the Forest *quite late* and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since. For the first time in a while, it motivated me to write an entire review, because there was so much I wanted to say, there is so much I loved about it and I thought it would be the occasion to start sharing my book reviews here as well! I read this book as part of #MythTakeReads, which is hosted by Ashleigh @ A Frolic Through Fiction and Charlotte @ Bookmarks and Vlogging.

🌸 What is Daughter of the Forest about?

This novel follows Sorcha, the seventh child and only daughter of Lord Colum of Sevenwaters. Bereft of a mother, she is comforted by her six brothers who love and protect her. Sorcha is the light in their lives, but her joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, which only Sorcha can lift-by staying silent.

If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever. When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all…

🌸 My thoughts on the book

I’ve been so curious about Juliet Marillier’s works for years now, because I feel like everyone adores them, Daughter of the Forest being their favourite, so I was really looking forward to finally reading it! Before I really get into the review, this book has a trigger warning for a graphic r*pe scene, so be cautious if you decide to read it.

Daughter of the Forest starts off when Sorcha is young and follows her from childhood into womanhood. It is quite dense and slow-paced, but I found that it was so worth it! I even devoured the second half of it, for I had to know what would happen to Sorcha, and I finished reading at 1:30 a.m., which rarely ever happens to me. This book was so immersive, beautifully written, felt like a fairy tale and I couldn’t get enough of it (which makes sense, considering it is a fairy tale retelling of The Six Swans)! I also really liked how it discussed the way sorcery was perceived and prejudiced opinions you can have on your (supposed) ennemies.

I adored reading from Sorcha’s point of view and felt close to her. I almost felt like her emotions and reactions were mine in some situations, and I admired her so much, she was such a quietly strong character. Moreover, her love for her brothers shone throughout and while there were six of them (which can be hard to keep track off), they all had a different voice and it was easy for me to remember them. One of my favourite things to read about in fiction is sibling dynamics in a big family; Daughter of the Forest totally delivered in that regard, I loved these siblings so much! I also came to care for so many of the secondary characters of the novel and I would love to see them again.

I had read somewhere that Juliet Marillier was amazing at world-building and weaving folklore into her stories and I totally agree with that! This book is set in a medieval-inspired Ireland, where the Fair Folk meddles in mortal’s stories and magic and curses exist. The world-building was phenomenal, I felt like I was walking alongside Sorcha through the different landscapes and everything was so well-researched! I’m really excited to read more of Marillier’s works to get immersed in her magical worlds again.

Because it is set in a medieval world, Daughter of the Forest was really brutal. Truly, I understand some situations and how women’s choices were assumed without asking them, because that’s what was happening at the time and it was discussed and challenged in regards of the modern audience of the book, but it wasn’t the case for every situation. Indeed, I had some issues on the topic of age difference in the romance (I wish it had been developped more, the transition from Sorcha being considered a child to a woman felt rushed) and the way consensual and loving sex was glossed over when r*pe had been described at length. I’d probably have rated this book five stars if it weren’t for that.

I really loved that a few storylines were left hanging open, I have a feeling some of them will be really important in the later books and I cannot wait to read about that. While I was finishing the book, I spent I don’t know how much time trying to find matching editions of the next two books, because I need to read them NOW.

If you can’t tell, I fell in love with this novel and while I have a few criticisms about it, I couldn’t stop reading it, I adored Sorcha and the other characters and I only want one thing: to go back to that world already. Daughter of the Forest was such a beautiful, heartbreaking and immersive story and I totally understand why people adore Juliet Marillier’s writing, I can see myself becoming a fan as well.

I feel like we’re all saying the same thing every month, but… can you believe April is over?I feel like that month lasted forever, because I had so many things to do and got so much done, between my internship, studying and participating in the #OWLsReadathon2019 and for the most part, it was a really great month! I’ve been quite stressed about my master’s thesis during it, but hey, that’s not exactly new.

In April, I participated to the #OWLs2019Readathon and read so many books once again. I had been reading less since the beginning of the year, so reading loads was an interesting experience! Here are the books that I read:

The Red Scrolls of Magic, by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu, 4/5 stars

I read quite a few amazing books this month, but the third volume of DC Comics Bombshells wins everything. It’s an empowering series, with female characters from DC Comics, who are fighting on their scale, both at home and a bit everywhere around Europe in World War II and it’s absolutely awesome! I’m so grateful to my friend who recommended it to me, I’m so obsessed.

Listening to Madeline Miller talk about women in mythology and retellings

At the beginning of the month, Madeline Miller came to talk about Circe in Shakespeare & Co and I was lucky enough to attend! She’s such an impressive and interesting woman and I could have listened to her talk about mythology for hours. I used to be a classicist and while I don’t study Latin or Greek anymore, Madeline Miller made me miss it so much. I got my copy of Circe signed afterwards and it was so amazing to actually meet her!

TV shows: discovering Killing Eve, getting excited about Game of Thrones season 8 and rewatching Parks and Recreation

After months of people raving about Killing Eve, I decided to give it a try (because I watched The White Princess recently and Jodie Comer is in it as well) and I was blown away. It’s a thriller with a MI5 agent and an assassin starring Sandra Oh, Jodi Comer and Fiona Shaw and that’s all you need to know. The cast is amazing and it takes my breath away because I never know what to expect. I also adore Villanelle so much. Season 2 is currently airing so I’d better get started on it as well!

April is also the month Game of Thrones came back on TV for its final season and watching it again made me so excited! It’s my first time watching the show since I’ve started reading the books and somehow it made me even more invested in it AND sometimes really annoyed by the way the characters act… Let’s just say that the characterization is way better in the books… Nevertheless, I’m super happy to watch it every Monday, even if staying away from spoilers is really hard, as I get spoiled in the subway and in the street… people truly are involved with this show. But anyway, I’m glad it’s back! #teamsansaforever

Last, but not least, I started my rewatch of Parks and Recreation! It had been ten months since I had finished it and I was missing it loads. It may sound overdramatic, but watching Parks and Rec affects my well-being so much: rewatching it makes me feel like home, makes me laugh, makes me the happiest. Besides, it’s the best way to motivate myself to write my master’s thesis, because if I write one page of it, I can watch one episode later on (I only watch them during breaks or evenings, I’m so reasonable haha) and it works really well!

Camp NaNoWriMo

Like last year, I participated in Camp NaNoWriMo so it would motivate me to write my master’s thesis. My goal was to write 15.000 words in a month, because I was working full time and couldn’t write as much as last April (I wrote 26.000 words then?). I wasn’t very consistent in writing to be honest and mainly worked on it during weekends, but I managed to reach my goal and almost finished my first part, which I’m so happy about! It feels like it’s getting somewhere and it feels good, as starting from May 11th, I’ll be working on it full time, so I know I won’t have as much to write as I had feared.

Watching Avengers: Endgame

At last, Avengers: Endgame came out and watching it felt unreal! The whole experience was amazing, we had to stay in line for an hour, even though we had our tickets and chatted with other fans about Marvel, DC and Game of Thrones. A random guy at Burger King also wished me to have a great time at the movies because I was wearing my Captain America shirt, it was really funny. Watching the movie made me so happy and really sad, because that era of the MCU is over and it had been eleven years… I won’t say more because spoilers, but I’m still really emotional about it, even though I had a few issues with it and the Russos.

May is going to be quite an intense month, to be honest. I’m finishing my internship on May 10th and I’m so sad about that, then I’ll be working on my master’s thesis full time and will have a big oral presentation for the uni group project at some point. Still, my studies will soon be over, and while it’s terrifying, I cannot wait to be done with them.

In May, I’m looking forward to watch Rocketman, Detective Pikachu and Aladdin in theaters, to read more of the A Song of Ice and Fire books and to be done with my thesis, obviously. It’s due June 5th, but it would be nice if I could be done before, so I have more time to revise it? We’ll see about that, haha.

Avengers: Endgame is coming out today here and I absolutely can’t believe it! The wait went by so slowly and so quickly at the same time and just like for Avengers: Infinity War, I don’t feel like I’m even mentally ready to watch this movie, as it is the end of an era (plus three hours? How am I going to make it through three hours? I have no idea).

So, in honour of Avengers: Endgame coming out today (I’m watching it in three hours, everybody stays calm), I thought I would talk about my favourite Marvel characters, whether I discovered them through the movies, comics or TV shows. As I came up with this list, I realized that most of my favouritecharactersaren’t that present in the movies? I do havecharacters I love from the movies, but I somehow feel closer to the ones I’ve read about/watched in the TV shows. I consider Captain America and Thor to be my favourite Avengers and yet, neither of them are among my favouritecharacters? Making this list was really surprising because of this, but anyway. Without further ado, let’s jump right into this!

Peggy Carter/Agent Carter

I admired Peggy Carter from the first moment she appeared in Captain America: The First Avenger, where she was an officer working for the Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) on the super soldier project, a clever and powerful woman in a man’s world. As Hayley Atwell, who portrays her in the MCU, said, “she can do everything Captain America can do, but backwards and in high heels” and that’s all I needed. Later on, Peggy became a respected agent in the SSR (even though men tried to undermine her) and solved important cases in America after World War II, in the amazing show that was Agent Carter (#foreversalty 😭). Credited as one of the founders of SHIELD, Peggy Carter was such a modern woman for her time and I aspire to be more like her. She even became Captain America at some point (which will be in a TV series, I’m so happy), truly, she is the best.

Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel

When I got into reading more comics, I started reading Ms. Marvel (2014) and discovered Kamala Kham, a teenage Pakistani American from Jersey City, New Jersey, whom I adore so much. She discovers she has Inhuman genes and gets shapeshifting abilities, assuming the mantle of Ms. Marvel from her idol Carol Danvers after Danvers becomes Captain Marvel. I adore seeing her life as a teenage girl on top of her superheroine life: Kamala is such a relatable and hilarious character!

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen

I got around reading the Spider-Gwen (2015) comics last summer and while I did find them confusing at first, I adored this version of Gwen Stacy so much! Now that Into the Spiderverse came out, more and more people are familiar with the Spiderverse, so basically, Gwen gets the spider-abilities in her universe (Earth-65) and it all goes down from there! Gwen is such a sassy and empowering character, along her friends and music group, The Mary Janes! I do relate to her vulnerability as well, especially when she ends up disappearing and not giving news to her loved ones, so there’s that as well. I’m so happy she was Into the Spiderverse last year, this movie was so amazing!

Nadia van Dyne/the Wasp

Around the time Ant-Man and the Wasp was released last year, I got more curious about the Wasp and ended up discovering one of the Wasps, Nadia van Dyne, who is so adorable and whom I love her with all my heart! She is the daughter of Hank Pym and Maria Trovaya, his first wife, who was abducted and supposedly killed. She escapes from where she was held captive, builds a Wasp costume, learns her father is dead, but meets Janet van Dyne (the original Wasp) who helps her as she can. Nadia later starts the program G.I.R.L. (Genius In action Research Labs) to look for women with genius intellects and it is the best program ever, reading about these amazing women saving the world is the best and I’m so happy that they ended up renewing the series (it had beencancelled).

Peter Quill/Star-Lord

Last but not least, I have to confess that I adore Peter Quill/Star-Lord (but not his actor, haha). I know that many people dislike him because of Infinity War, but here’s the thing: he’s human and considering his backstory… I just get it. I love MCU!Peter Quill for his taste in music, his humor and how flawed he is, I love comics!Peter Quill for he is vulnerable and a master strategist, plus I love his relationship with Kitty Pride so much. Tbh, both versions of him have those personality traits, but some of them shine more in the movies or comics, depending.

Honorable mentions

Those characters that will probably become new favourites once I know more about them (aka when I’ve read more comics)…

That’s it for me today! Good luck to everyone watching Avengers: Endgame, we’ll make it through and let’s hope our hearts won’t be too broken when we get out of the theaters.

What about you, are you planning on watching Avengers: Endgame? Who are your favourite Marvel characters?

Happy April! It’s time for the weather to feel like Spring, to wear lighter jackets, to see flowers in bloom and to participate in the Magical Readathon 2019: O.W.L.s, a Harry Potter inspired readathon! It was created by Book Roast on YouTube and it is a month-long readathon based around the exams students take at Hogwarts and it happens twice a year, once in April for the O.W.L.s and once in August for the N.E.W.T.s. You can even pick a wizarding career and choose your O.W.L.s/N.E.W.T.s depending on it, which is really cool and that’s one of the reasons I had to participate. I’d totally recommend watching her video announcement of it if you want to know more/participate, because it’s truly going to be amazing! For this readathon, I decided I wanted to become…

*drum rolls*

A MAGIZOOLOGIST!

(what a surprise, I know, everyone knows how much I love Newt Scamander).

To become a magizoologist, I have to take four O.W.L.s and I *might* take other ones if I have the time, so I get better grades, we shall see! In the meantime, I have to pass care of magical creatures, charms, herbology and potions. Here is what I’m planning to read:

I was supposed to read this one last month, right after The Song of Achilles, but once I heard about this readathon, I decided it could wait until April, especially since Madeline Miller is coming to Paris to talk about it tomorrow! This novel is based on Greek mythology and is a retelling of Circe’s myth, which I’m really excited about. I’ve read a few Greek myths retellings in the past few months and I’ve been loving it, so this one is totally my priority for the readathon and I’m hoping to finish it before seeing Madeline Miller. *fingers crossed*

I read Kate Morton’s The Lake House last summer (because it’s set in Cornwall, of course) and adored it, so I’ve been meaning to get to more of her works. The House at Riverton is set in 1924 on the eve of a glittering society party, when a young poet takes his own life. The only witnesses, two sisters, will never speak to each other again. Decades later, a one-time housemaid at Riverton opens up about her memories of that time and the mystery of what happened unravels. It *might* have been blurbed as for fans of Downton Abbey and I’m so intrigued by this synopsis, so I’m looking forward to discovering what it’s all about.

I’ve been super excited to get to this historical fantasy novel, because it is written by none other than G. Willow Wilson, who also wrote the Ms. Marvel series (the Kamala Khan version!). This novel follows Fatima, concubine to the sultan, and her friend Hassan, the palace mapmaker, who can draw maps of places he’s never seen and bend the shape of reality. It is set in 1491, during the reign of the last sultanate in the Iberian peninsula, and the two of them have to run away with the help of a jinn, as they realize that the new Spanish monarchy might see Hassan’s gift as sorcery and a threat to Christian rule. This one sounds absolutely amazing and as I have studied this time period, I’m intrigued to see what it will be like in fiction form.

Last but not least, I am planning to read The Wicked King by Holly Black, one of my most anticipated releases of the year, which I still haven’t read, because I was waiting for a discount of Book Depository (I was right to wait, haha). It is the sequel to The Cruel Prince, the story of Jude, who has been stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie with her two sisters. Ten years later, she wants nothing more to belong there, despite her mortality and as she gets caught up in palace intrigues, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. I adore the way Holly Black writes faeries and their wickedness and I’m so excited to get back into this world!

So that’s basically it for my TBR for this readathon! I’ll probably end up reading more than that during the month and to fit more books in different prompts, but that’s where I’m at for now.

Are you participating in this readathon? Are there any books you’re planning to read in April?

It’s probably been two months since I published anything on here, so hello again! I have been really busy trying to balance working full time at my internship, still having uni work to do and everything else in the past two months, but I now have so many ideas of what I want to talk about on here and I am beyond excited! That being said, I have some big (to me) blogging news, because my blog now is… *drum rolls* self-hosted! I was on Blogger for the past three and a half years, but have always dreamed of being self-hosted. With Google+ closing and my comments being a little bit messy because of it, I decided to finally take the big jump, so here am I!

I’m a bit late on everything and really need to catch up, so without further ado, here is my wrap-up for both February and March!

I haven’t read as much as I usually do since the beginning of the year, but I have found that I don’t mind that much. February was a nice reading month overall and I was so happy with what I read, which included:

Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham, 4/5 stars

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood, 3.5/5 stars

Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers, 3.5/5 stars

The Familiars by Stacey Halls, 4/5 stars

Macbeth by William Shakespeare, 4/5 stars

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, 5/5 stars

In February, I was so happy to fall in love with The Thirteenth Tale, which was such an amazing gothic novel and an ode to one’s love for books. This story really stuck with me and I am beyond excited to watch the adaptation now (it stars Olivia Colman, Sophie Turner and Vanessa Redgrave)!

In March, as part of Women’s History Month, I decided that just like last year, I would only read books written by women and I ended up reading:

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, 5/5 stars

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink (And Other Lies): Amazing Women on What the F-Word Mean to Them curated by Scarlett Curtis, 3/5 stars

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, 3/5 stars

My reading month started on such a high with The Priory of the Orange Tree, which is now my favourite book of the year and one of my favourite books of all time! I adore this world so much, the characters mean a lot to me and I already wanted to reread it after a few pages into it. *sigh* I miss it.

I’m also still currently reading Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon, which I’m adoring and I cannot wait to finish it.

TV SHOW // One Day at a Time (season 3)

A few days before my birthday, the third season of One Day at a Time was released and it was the best early birthday present I could have asked for. This third season was absolutely amazing, as the previous ones: it talked about so many important subjects and did it so well (I’m so happy they talked about anxiety attacks, even though it was really hard to watch that episode) and I will always love the Alvarez family with all my heart. Since then, Netflix has announced that they had cancelled the show and I still can’t accept it: the show deserves more and us, the audience, deserve more. It feels like Netflix never gave the show its fair chance by promoting it and we, the viewers, had to do it all. the. time. I’m still trying to hope, but I’m so heartbroken they decided to cancel one of my favourite shows…

MISC. // Watching the Oscars live

Watching the Oscars live is quite a trial when you live in Europe, because it means that you have to stay up all night long. I had done it two years ago, as I was really invested in some of the movies nominated and wanted to do so again this year, which is why I took my Monday off, so I’d be able to sleep afterwards (I know, priorities). I watched the ceremony with my boyfriend and it was amazing, I was able to hear Adam Driver’s name among the nominees and to see him there, as well as see Olivia Colman getting the recognition she deserves for The Favourite! I wasn’t happy with all the results, but I had a great time watching, which is what matters in the end!

DRINK // Chai Lattes

In February, I tasted chai latte for the first time and I’m now obsessed with it! My friend Aseel kept talking about it on her Instagram and I was curious, so I gave in… I find this drink so calming and comforting, it is now my to-go drink when I’m not feeling too well and that I shouldn’t drink anymore coffee than I already have.

MOVIE // Captain Marvel (2019)

I was so excited for Captain Marvel, because finally, a Marvel superheroine was getting her own solo movie (it only took them… 21 movies…)! I didn’t know Carol Danvers’ storyline very well, as I had only encountered her in Ms. Marvel (with Kamala Khan!) and Guardians of the Galaxy, but I adore her so much! I was so happy that it was set in the 90s, as I’m currently quite obsessed with this era and it was such an amazing movie, truly! There was a cafe with temporary activities for Captain Marvel in Paris, where I went with my best friend when she came to visit me in Paris and we played 90s video games, which was a lot of fun. I cannot wait to read more about Carol Danvers and to see more of her in the MCU now!

FOOD // Granola

I tried granola for the first time while out brunching a few weeks ago and I adored it! I was always a bit skeptical when I saw people eating that (to be fair, I think I was mixing it up with muesli and I don’t like that?), but I was sold after eating a bit of it. Since then, I’ve been eating granola for breakfast every time I stayed at my boyfriend’s and I adore it. I can go through the whole morning without being too hungry, which is a huge improvement to me. I’d love to try to make some myself at some point, we shall see how that experiment goes.

April is going to be such a busy and challenging month, but I’m quite looking forward to it. It’ll be my last full month working at my internship – which makes me really sad, but well, that’s life -, but I’m also planning on doing Camp NaNoWriMo to write as much as possible of my master’s thesis, as well as to participate into the Magical Readathon 2019: O.W.L.s! I’m also really looking forward to watching Shazam and Avengers: Endgame on the big screen so yup, that’s my upcoming month!

What about you all, how are you? What is your favourite book of 2019 so far?

You probably know by now how much I adore history, considering I used to be a history major and find any excuse I can get to watch period dramas or read historical fiction (by a big plot twist, I even miss historical research a lot these days). So of course, I always browse the historical fiction section of Netgalley and that’s how I stumbled upon The Familiars, which I added on Goodreads really quickly: I mean, 17th century England and witch trials? I’ll read that, thank you very much. I got really excited when I was approved to read an e-ARC of it and as it’s releasing today, it’s time I talk about it some more!

Goodreads summary: Young Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a noblewoman, is with child again. None of her previous pregnancies have borne fruit, and her husband, Richard, is anxious for an heir. Then Fleetwood discovers a hidden doctor’s letter that carries a dire prediction: she will not survive another birth. By chance she meets a midwife named Alice Grey, who promises to help her deliver a healthy baby. But Alice soon stands accused of witchcraft.

Is there more to Alice than meets the eye? Fleetwood must risk everything to prove her innocence. As the two women’s lives become intertwined, the Witch Trials of 1612 loom. Time is running out; both their lives are at stake. Only they know the truth. Only they can save each other.

Rich and compelling, set against the frenzy of the real Pendle Hill Witch Trials, this novel explores the rights of 17th-century women and raises the question: Was witch-hunting really women-hunting? Fleetwood Shuttleworth, Alice Grey and the other characters are actual historical figures. King James I was obsessed with asserting power over the lawless countryside (even woodland creatures, or “familiars,” were suspected of dark magic) by capturing “witches”—in reality mostly poor and illiterate women.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer :I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. All quotes I used in this review might have been changed in the final copy.

“She certainly looks like a witch. She is very thin and rough-looking, with black hair and a sullen face. My mother says never trust someone with black hair because they usually have a black soul to match.”

“I have black hair.” (p. 26)

I have to admit that going into this, I didn’t know much about the Pendle Hill Witch Trials, I only knew Pendle because of Joseph Delaney’s Wardstone Chronicles (he got inspired from history so much for his Pendle, and my favourite book of the series is the fourth one, set there, what a surprise). Reading about those events was both frightening and fascinating, because of the awful fate these women were to know and it became even scarier when I read the author’s note and that Stacey Halls explained that all her characters had actually existed. In any case, I felt like I was in early 17th century Lancashire, Stacey Halls did a great job at recreating its atmosphere.

The names of the Lancashire Witches

Moreover, as said in the summary, The Familiars explored the rights of women in different ways, from gentry-born women to the poorer ones, who didn’t have wealth or status to protect them and it was really interesting. It showed how little choice, on their different scales, women had at that time. For Fleetwood, our gentry-born main character, it was about making a good marriage, then having to produce an heir for her husband, whereas for Alice, it was about keeping a job and surviving, when no one really cared about her: in a way, both only could count on themselves, and later on each other. On another hand, The Familiars explored the way men had power over women, whether it was through their marriages or even when it came to the law: they barely were held accountable for their actions, which the author discussed through the main character’s point of view.

“I remembered Alice’s words: I am afraid of lies. Now I knew what she meant: lies had the power to destroy lives but also create them.”(p. 198)

I adored the main character, Fleetwood, because I could relate to her so much. While she felt helpless, she never gave up and tried to do all she could to stay alive, then to save Alice, when she could have stayed in her comfortable, but imperfect, life. Her friendship with Alice was so heartwarming, because it was portrayed in a healthy way: the both of them had been brought together by Alice’s job as a midwife, but came to mean so much more to each other and to always be there for the other.

The Familiars started with exciting chapters before slowing down, then I wondered where the author was going and thought I knew, until it took me by surprise several times, which I loved. It had such a gloomy atmosphere as the story progressed, to the point that I could be as tense as Fleetwood. From the moment this novel first took me by surprise, I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what would happen next. It might have been a bit slow in the beginning, but it was all worth it as I kept thinking about the story, even when I wasn’t reading this novel.

On top of that, I really liked that the author always made me doubt whether the “witches” had magical powers or not. I found the theme of the familiars really interesting, as it had to do with natural magic and the way Fleetwood encountered magic was really well-written, as she was an outside point of view on the topic of magic.

Last but not least, I can’t say much because it would be a spoiler, but I adored the very last chapter! I am often disappointed by endings, but it wasn’t the case at all here, I thought it was a perfect way to conclude!

Overall, if you love historical fiction and are intrigued by witch trials stories, I would totally recommend you this one! It portrayed a friendship between two women from different parts of society in a healthy way, had a gloomy atmosphere like I love and discussed the rights of women at the time. It was Stacey Halls’ debut, so I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more of her works, because this one sure was amazing.

… and we’re already done with the first month of 2019! January was such a busy month for me, so I barely feel like I got anything done outside of university and working, but it was still a good month, so I don’t mind that much.

I started the year by spending New Year Eve with my family, my best friend and my boyfriend, which was perfect, then enjoyed the last of my holidays. On January 6th, I went on my first trip outside of Europe… I travelled to Algeria for a uni project and it was quite interesting. We got a lot of material for our project and had such a nice weather, it was a bit hard to go back to France in that aspect. The morning after I got back from Algiers, I started my four month long internship in a cultural institution and I’ve been working full time since then. I’ve been there for the past three weeks and I’m loving it, I’m working on interesting projects and everything I learnt in my new master is really helpful, it definitely is the right fit.

I feel like I didn’t have time for much outside of all of that, as I always was really exhausted when I got home, but I realize now that I’ve been out a lot in January, so that explains it as well. It was different from usual and I got out of my comfort zone a few times, but it was all for the best.

Truth be told, I didn’t read as much as I usually do in January, but I didn’t mind at all, for I was super relaxed about my reading and whether I was reading or not. I was doing my best, I was happy whenever I found time to pick up a book, and I think that’s pretty great.

Here are the books that I read:

Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo, 5/5 stars (reread)

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, 3/5 stars

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, 3.5/5 stars

Mera: Queen of Atlantis, by Dan Abnett and Lan Medina, 3.5/5 stars

A Clash of Kings, by George R.R. Martin, 4.5/5 stars

I decided to start the year by rereading my favourite book, Les Misérables, and it made me the happiest as it had been so long! If we don’t count that one, though, my favourite was A Clash of Kings: it took me almost three weeks to finish it, but I am so obsessed with this world and didn’t mind at all!

MOVIE // On the Basis of Sex (2018)

I went to the movies five times in January (we love having an unlimited movie card) and the best movie I watched was On the Basis of Sex. This movie is based on the life and early cases* of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with Felicity Jones portraying her. I had really high expectations for this movie, as I had been waiting for it for so long and Felicity Jones is one of my favourite actresses. Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed: it was such an empowering movie, it had amazing family dynamics (especially between Ruth and her daughter Jane, who was so inspiring as well) and Felicity Jones delivered a stellar performance. Please watch it if you can!

*those cases were about discrimination on the basis of sex.

BOOKS // A Song of Ice and Fire

In December, I finally got started on A Song of Ice and Fire and adored the first book – it actually was my last book of the year – to the point that I only wanted to pick up the second book after that (I don’t usually like to binge-read series?). That’s exactly what I did: I started reading A Clash of Kings when I left for Algeria and finished it at the end of January, so I spent almost all of my month in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. I have a weird relationship with the show, I either couldn’t be invested less or can’t stop thinking about it depending on the seasons, so I can already say that I adore the books a lot more. I’m constantly thinking about ASOIAF, researching little details about it and apparently I follow a lot of people who love the books and show on Twitter too? So basically, I can’t get out of this world and it makes me so happy, I had missed fantasy so much.

TV SHOW // The Good Place

I already watched and loved the first two seasons of The Good Place (it made it into my favourite TV shows of 2018) and I’ve started catching up on the third one now that it’s over. This TV show is just perfect to binge-watch, so I wait before getting into it because I always want to know everything straight away and not wait in agony every week (how dramatic). I’m now watching it with my boyfriend as I got him addicted as well and it’s so much fun. I’ve been loving this third season so much, it is so clever and I adore these characters more than ever!

MISC. // Knitting

During my holidays, I picked up knitting again and I’ve been loving it again. I can’t sit still while watching movies and TV shows, I always end up checking my phone, so knitting is the best alternative, because I’m still occupied while watching something. It’s also quite a calming activity and helps me a lot when I’m stressed. This time, my mom taught me how to knit socks (so very useful when we’re getting snowy days) and I’m knitting my second one at the moment. Once I’m done with my pair of socks, I am planning on knitting a sleeve for my new e-reader, it would be perfect.

MISC. // AquamanYes, yes. How predictable, it already was in my favourite last month. I always follow the same patterns when I fall for a movie from a franchise: I’ll rewatch it ten thousand times and get started on extra content… Which is exactly what I’m doing because I loved the 2018 Aquaman movie. I can’t explain how much I needed this movie when it arrived in my life and that’s one of the reasons I’m so obsessed, the others including the actors and the fact that it deals with the sea and I’m a sea person. So anyway, on top of rewatching the movie, I have started reading comics set in the Aqua-world through Mera’s comic and I’m loving that! I need to read the entire Aquaman (2016) series to continue and it makes me so excited to read comics and have found a new fictional world to love. Mera and Arthur, I love you so.

I’m always really excited to get into February, because it is my birthday month and I intend to make the most of it! I don’t have anything planned, as I’ll still be working full time at my internship, but I’m hoping to finally get started on master thesis #3, continue outlining my work in progress, be more creative with my bullet journal and continue reading as much as possible.

I am beyond happy because both The Favourite and Mary, Queen of Scots are being released in France this month and I’m always there for period dramas. I’m also already late with January book releases, but I intend on reading February releases as they come out: I’ve been waiting for The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (my most anticipated fantasy book, already pre-ordered) and Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers (I can’t believe we’re getting more His Fair Assassin books!) and I have an ARC of The Familiars by Stacey Halls to read, so that will pretty much be my TBR, haha.

I’m a bit late with all ‘my favourites of 2018’ posts, but better late than never I guess? Anyway, 2018 was such an amazing year when it came to TV shows and I found so many new favourites. Those who made my list didn’t necessarily aired in 2018, but I watched them during that year. I also managed to rank them and I’m so proud of myself, as I’m unable to do that with books and movies for 2018. So without further ado, here are my favourite TV shows of 2018!

10. Peaky Blinders

I finally started watching Peaky Blinders last year* and I fell in love with it, I even watched the first season in less than a day. I’m a huge period drama fan, as you probably know, but I had been reluctant to watch this one, for I was scared it would be a bit too violent for me (I was wrong). The universe kept sending me signs for two days, between seeing articles about the show everywhere or Sam Claflin announcing he would play in series 5 (!!), so that’s how I ended up starting it, and I couldn’t be happier to have watched it. It is full of morally grey characters, which I adore, and I admire the female characters’ of the show so much (okay I fell in love with two of them, but shhhh): Peaky Blinders was one of the reasons I cut my hair shorter in November, I wanted to live the 1920s aesthetic, so yeah. #noregrets*Fun fact: I finished catching up with it today!

9. The Good Place

Another show I watched after everyone else was The Good Place. I didn’t even know what it was about when I started it, just that people were obsessed with it and I feel that it’s the best way to watch it. I had no idea what was going on at first, but I was so curious and needed to have answers: that’s the magic of the show and that’s how you end up binge-watching it in three days or something. The characters are absolutely hilarious, there are so many iconic lines it’s very addictive and I adore the photography of it!

8. Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I started watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2017, but completely caught up with it last year. I’m usually not a use fan of cop shows, because I often find them repetitive, but that’s absolutely not the case for Brooklyn Nine-Nine. All the characters are amazing and picking a favourite is next to impossible for me: they’ve all helped and inspired me in different ways and I’m so grateful they exist. This TV show is perfect to watch when I’m feeling a bit down, it always makes me laugh a little. I am so excited about the newest season, thank god it wasn’t cancelled in the end! *cries*

7. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is such a breath of fresh air: I started watching it because I wanted a ‘lighter’ period drama to watch… and it ended up in a binge-watch and my boyfriend joining in and falling in love with the show as well. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (who also created Gilmore Girls!!), is set in 1958 and follows Myriam “Midge” Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. I adore Midge so much and Rachel Brosnahan, who portrays her, delivers such amazing performances (she won two Golden Globes in the past two years?).

6. Jane the Virgin

I’ve been watching Jane the Virgin since 2016 and I’ve always considered it to be one of my favourite TV shows (even though season 2 disappointed me a bit), so truly, it’s no surprise that it’s making the list. And then, season 4 happened and changed my life. That’s not even me being overdramatic, it’s true. 2018 was the year I accepted myself like never before and the show helped me immensely: if it weren’t for that scene with Petra, I would still be doubting myself… Her dream scene was exactly what happened to me, so when I saw that for a fictional character I loved, it truly meant the world to me. I cannot wait for the last season, I just want to see these characters happy. That’s all I need.

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

It’s no secret that I’m so obsessed with The Last Jedi that I watched it eleven times on the big screen. While I was on a Star Wars roll, I decided I would finally get started on the new Expanded Universe, whether it was TV shows, books or comics. I wasn’t too excited about watching The Clone Wars at first, as I’m not a huge fan of Episode II or Anakin, but as the first two seasons were on Netflix, I gave it a go. Little did I know that it would make me love the Fall of the Republic era so much, that I would meet one of my favourite Star Wars characters in the person of Ahsoka Tano, that I would get super obsessed with the show. It’s so worth it and a great place to start if you want to go beyond the Star Wars movies!

4. Everything Sucks!

Everything Sucks! means the world to me, because it’s the show that finally gave me the strength to come out. I’ll always remember how much I cried and how I wrote all the words I had always been too scared to say. Truly, I will always be heartbroken they decided to cancel it. I dedicated a blog post to it if you want to know more about it, but this is the show I had always needed in my life. It’s set in 1996 (the year I was born!) and it follows high school misfits in the AV and drama clubs who brave the ups and downs of teenage life in the VHS era. It is full of pop culture references, it has amazing characters and a great coming out story. I have to admit that it’s hard to watch at first, because there is bullying and homophobic slur, it truly shows how life can be awful in high school, but it gets better and better with every episode. I miss this show so much, I need to rewatch it.

3. One Day at a Time

One Day at a Time already was in my previous favourite TV shows list and of course, it kept its spot. It is one of the greatest and most important TV shows that was ever made and if you still haven’t watched it, please do. I made all my friends watch it and they all got obsessed, because clearly I have good taste (I’m joking of course). It tackles down such important and contemporary topics, has a diverse cast of characters and it’s hilarious. Most of all, it has Elena, one of my favourite fictional characters ever, she’s so inspiring, she makes me want to fight to get what I want and to be myself, without hiding. No, but really, can you believe that we have a Latina, gay, feminist, vegetarian and super clever main character as awesome as she is? I cannot wait to rewatch the first two seasons to be ready for the third!

2. The Bold Type

When I started watching The Bold Type, it truly felt like the one and it’s definitely one of the TV shows that has inspired me the most. It is a feminist, empowering, diverse and topical show, tackling down so many contemporary issues and doing it in such a clever way. It follows the lives of Jane, Kat and Sutton, who works for Scarlet, a global women’s magazine. There three girls mean so much to me, because not only the portraying of their friendship is one of the healthiest I have seen on TV, but I see myself in all of them, and they all are my role models in a way. They still are at the beginning of their professional lives – they’ve worked for four years or something? – and it’s so encouraging for me, as I’m almost done with my studies. If you asked me who was my favourite, I wouldn’t be able to answer, because it changes with every episode and I love them in different ways. I dedicated a blog post to this one as well because I love it too much.

I think that it is my favourite currently airing TV show and it could almost have been number 1 on this list as well, if it weren’t for…

1. Parks and Recreation

*everyone pretends to be shocked* I don’t think that my words could ever do justice at how much I adore this show, but just know this: I watched all seven seasons in a month and a half. Parks and Rec is set in Pawnee, Indiana, and follows the team from the Parks and Recreation department (duh) on their adventures. It’s funny, always makes me feel good, has relatable characters and I would almost move to Pawnee to work in the department by day and be a Mouse Rat groupie by night. *starts singing The Pit* My favourite character was of course my wife April Ludgate, she’s the best and I adore Aubrey Plaza, so that’s no surprise! I miss the show so much, I need to rewatch it, I need to buy the DVDs, how have I been holding on without it for the past seven months and six days?? H O W??

Ever since I heard about The Gilded Wolves, I was so curious about it: Roshani Chokshi’s writing and I hadn’t gotten to a great start, but so many readers kept praising her works and I wanted to know what the hype was all about. Besides, this book is set in 19th century, which is right up my alley. Of course, when I saw the book up on Netgalley, I didn’t hesitate and I’m so glad I got approved for it! I didn’t love this book as much as everyone else, but I flew through it and it was really entertaining. So, without further ado, happy publication day to The Gilded Wolves and here’s my review of it!

Goodreads summary: Set in a darkly glamorous world, The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous but thrilling adventure.

Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can’t yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they’ll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

MY THOUGHTS

Disclaimer :I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The quotes I used might have changed in the final copy.My favourite element of The Gilded Wolves was its characters. This novel had such a diverse cast of six main characters, whom I adored. They were so complex and had rich backstories, which made me get to know them pretty well and I’m a bit sad to leave them behind now that I’ve finished the novel. I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t get every main character’s point of view: I feel like I didn’t care as much for one of them, I *almost even* forgot about them at times and so I didn’t really care about this character’s storyline or ending? That’s too bad because I cared about everyone else; at this character, I am really sorry. Moreover, they all had amazing group dynamics and I loved every little interaction they had together. My favourite character was for sure Zofia, because I related to her in so many ways, but I also have a soft spot for Hypnos!

I had high expectations when it comes to the world-building of this novel, especially the parts about late 19th century Paris, as I’m French and a history major, but I can tell you that Roshani Chokshi did her job splendidly! You could tell how much research she put into her book and I loved that she didn’t only show an idealistic Paris: she also showed France’s ugly colonialist past, how unaccepting and racist society could be. As she said in her author’s note:

“History is a myth shaped by the tongues of conquerors.”

Shameful events can often be glossed over and this shouldn’t be. This past needs to be acknowledged, discussed and I’m glad that voices that have been ignored for so long can finally be heard. So many important topics were talked about in this novel and Chokshi did a good job at that. The Gilded Wolves was also full of historical, philosophical and scientific references, which I adored!

While I was impressed by the way Chokshi portrayed Paris, I wasn’t as convinced when she presented the novel’s magic system. It was complex and a bit confusing at times, especially when paragraphs upon paragraphs were explaining the world: it felt a bit like info-dumping to me. Still, it was a bit more interesting once I understood everything.

To talk about the elephant in the room, that many reviewers have discussed: in many things, The Gilded Wolves is quite similar to Six of Crows for some aspects of it. I am not saying that this is a bad thing: The Gilded Wolves has amazing characters no matter what and a different world building, but because of those similarities, the plot didn’t take me by surprise, because it wasn’t anything I hadn’t read before. It could be thrilling at times, but overall I was left being unimpressed by it. Besides, I wasn’t too convinced by the villain: I would have liked to know their motivations more; it has to be more than “I want to take over the world” to me, I need more explanations and very morally gray characters. Despite that, I adored the fact that it was all about a secret society!

I had tried reading Chokshi’s debut in the past without success, but I really liked her writing style in this one, it flowed nicely and I got through this book really quickly. While I don’t really want to pick The Star-Touched Queen again at this point, I’d be interested in reading more of her works.

To conclude, I thought that while being a bit too similar to Six of Crows for my taste, The Gilded Wolves is a novel with amazing characters and a compelling setting that many readers will adore. Some aspects of the novel, such as a confusing magic system at first and a plot that didn’t take me by surprise didn’t convince me as much, but maybe that’s just me? I’m always super picky, haha.

I have so many blog posts planned for the beginning of the year, from lists of everything I’ve loved in 2018 to what I am planning to do in 2019, that I would almost have forgotten to post my December reading wrap-up. *shocked gasps* So before we’re too far ahead in the month, it’s time to wrap up December 2018!

December was quite an eventful month: it was made of my last few weeks at uni, being accepted into the internship I wanted the most, getting in the Christmas spirit and so much more. It was also a difficult month, as my anxiety was a mess because of university, but at least that part is over and I’ve been on vacations since December 19th, so it’s alright. Anyhow, let’s jump into what I read during the last month of 2018.

Lord of Shadows, by Cassandra Clare, 5/5 stars (re-read)

Queen of Air and Darkness, by Cassandra Clare, 4/5 stars

Mr. Dickens and His Carol, by Samantha Silva, 4/5 stars

Assassin’s Quest, by Robin Hobb, 4.5/5 stars

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, by J.K. Rowling, 5/5 stars (re-read)

The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov, 3.5/5 stars

Hickory Dickory Dock, by Agatha Christie, 4/5 stars

Muse of Nightmares, by Laini Taylor, 4.5/5 stars

A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin, 5/5 stars

+ three French graphic novels

At the beginning of December, I set myself a very ambitious TBR, because there were many huge books I wanted to read and I nailed it (I was very scared I wouldn’t finish A Game of Thrones in time, but I did it!). Reading and loving fantasy again is such a wonderful feeling, so it won’t be too surprising if I tell you that I got a book hangover after finishing The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb and that it would have been the same for A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, had I not started my reread of Les Misérables at the beginning of January. My favourite book of the month, then, was A Game of Thrones, I’m so proud of myself for starting the A Song of Ice and Fire series at long last! Now I need to binge-read every book set in this world.

EVENT // Meeting Lin-Manuel Miranda

On December 10th, a premiere of Mary Poppins Returns took place in Paris, in the presence of some of the members of the cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda. It was just a premiere for press (um, I still haven’t watched the movie, which is really sad) and no one was talking about it, but somehow we heard it would take place and I got there with some of my friends. We were just waiting, hoping to get a glimpse of the cast and… We met Lin-Manuel Miranda. I mean, we actually talked to him?? This entire moment was surreal, he truly was the nicest, he signed something for everyone, did group selfies… I still cannot believe it happened, it was a perfect way to end the year. I’m beyond happy for my friends Clara and Lydia, as he means the world to them and they had been wanting to meet him for forever, I can’t believe they finally did so!!

TV SHOW // The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)

In December, I finally started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and this TV show has been making me so happy. I had been hearing my friend Fatima talking about it for so long and my friend Clara had also started it some time before, and as I wanted to watch a period drama that would make me happy, I gave in. This American period drama, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino*, is set in 1958 and follows Myriam “Midge” Maisel, an upper-class Jewish housewife. After her husband leaves her for his secretary, she delivers an impromptu comic performance in a bar where her husband used to act for fun, and after some time, she is inspired to become a comedian. This TV show is such a fresh breath of air and binge-watching it has been amazing! My boyfriend got addicted as well when he hadn’t watched the first four episodes, so yeah… Just watch it!

*she created Gilmore Girls!

MOVIE // Christmas movies

At the end of November, I made a list of Christmas movies I wanted to watch and slowly made my way through it during the time that led to Christmas. I discovered that I loved cheesy Christmas movies and binge-watched all the Netflix Original ones, my favourite being The Holiday Calendar. I also finally got to older Christmas movies I had wanted to watch for so long, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I also watched The Man Who Invented Christmas, which is about how Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol and it was my favourite of them all! I had wanted to watch it for so long (of course I did, Dan Stevens plays Charles Dickens), they never released it in France, and it was as amazing as I thought it would be! I’m hoping that watching it for Christmas will become a new tradition!

WRITING

At the beginning of my holidays, I got an idea for a new novel… and I haven’t been able to get away from it since then, because my characters keep talking to me. Oh, well. I haven’t written consistently in four years, but got some ideas for historical novels that I’ve always been terrified to write. However, this one might be the one, because it’s not set too far away in the past, and the entirety of it is so me. A lot of it is coming from my personal experience, which makes it hard to write, but this project has made me so happy. I’ve started doing research for it, which is a lot of fun, and getting to know my characters is amazing, I love them so much. Writing this book will be one of my biggest challenges of 2019, but in any case, December was our honeymoon phase with my WIP, so it was all good.

MOVIE // Aquaman (2018)

I didn’t really expect that to happen, but at the end of December, I watched the Aquaman movie and I absolutely fell in love with it. Now, you probably know that I adore Marvel’s movies, but the ones from DC Comics… Well, not so much. I always go watch them (except for Suicide Squad that I never watched and don’t want to), but I always have mixed feelings about them. Needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of expectations when I went to watch Aquaman, I just knew I had to watch it because I’ve always been obsessed with the sea, and I fell for it. Yes, I do have a crush on both Jason Momoa and Amber Heard, but I also adore the world-building, the story, the aesthetic, the inspirations for it and the soundtrack of the movie. I’ve already watched it twice in December and by the time I’ve published this, I’ll probably have watched it a third time, because I can’t get enough out of it. It also (re)taught me something that I had forgotten and needed to remember, so I’m grateful it did. I’m so happy it was my last movie of the year and I cannot wait to read Aquaman’s comics now (even though he’s blonde in them *cries*).

As you’re reading this, I’m currently in Algeria for a project with my university, which is exciting and a bit scary, as it’s my very first time out of Europe! Still, I am so happy to start the year by traveling to a place I’ve never been before and I’m sure it’ll be really interesting. Moreover, I’ll be starting my internship on January 10th and I’m so excited about it, I’m sure that it’ll be an enlightening experience! So basically, that’s what my month will look like and I’m so there for it!

There are also so many releases I’m excited about for books, movies and TV shows. I’ve already talked about my most anticipated book releases for this winter recently and I’m not quite sure I’ll be able to read January releases, but I have an e-ARC of The Gilded Wolves, so that’s exciting. For movies, I am so looking forward to watching On the Basis of Sex (Felicity Jones <3), Colette, and The Hate U Give, which is finally coming out in France! I also need to catch up on some movies I didn’t watch during the holidays, so I’ll probably spend my whole free time in theaters. Oops. I also have several TV shows that will start airing again, the third season of A Series of Unfortunate Events is already there, but I’m also impatiently waiting for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Victoria, I have been waiting for so long!